Red Bull targets Aston Martin expert Tom McCullough in major 2026 transfer coup – Red Bull Racing is reportedly preparing another major addition to its technical operation, with Aston Martin veteran Tom McCullough emerging as the team’s latest target.
According to BILD, the experienced British engineer is set to join Red Bull after leaving Aston Martin at the end of 2026, potentially taking up the role of Head of Race Engineering.
The move would give Red Bull another highly experienced figure as the team prepares for a significant restructuring of its trackside operation. McCullough has more than a decade of experience within the Aston Martin/Force India structure and has previously worked for Williams and Sauber.
The reported transfer also comes against the backdrop of Gianpiero Lambiase’s planned departure for McLaren. However, McCullough’s reported role should not be confused with Lambiase’s position as Max Verstappen’s race engineer, which Red Bull has already arranged to fill internally.
Red Bull reportedly targets McCullough for key role
According to BILD, McCullough is being lined up to become Red Bull’s new Head of Race Engineering, a senior position responsible for coordinating the team’s engineering operation at Grands Prix.
The role is currently held by Lambiase, who combines his wider responsibilities with his long-standing position as Verstappen’s race engineer.
BILD reports that Red Bull wants McCullough to take over the broader trackside responsibilities associated with the position as Lambiase’s eventual move to McLaren approaches.
Lambiase is due to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer for the 2028 season after his Red Bull contract expires. Formula 1 and McLaren have confirmed that move, making the succession planning at Red Bull an important part of the team’s preparations for the coming seasons.
McCullough brings extensive F1 experience
McCullough would bring considerable Formula 1 experience to Red Bull.
The Briton joined the Force India organisation in 2014 after previous spells with Williams and Sauber. He subsequently became an important part of the operation through its transitions from Force India to Racing Point and then Aston Martin.
He became Aston Martin’s Performance Director in 2018, a position he held through the end of the 2024 season.
Aston Martin subsequently reorganised its trackside structure, with McCullough moving away from the team’s core Formula 1 operation. He has since worked as Performance Director within Aston Martin Performance Technologies, covering the wider motorsport activities of the company.
Aston Martin’s decision to restructure its operation followed the arrival of Adrian Newey and a broader reshaping of its senior technical structure.
Why McCullough’s availability could help Red Bull
McCullough’s situation makes the reported transfer particularly interesting because his departure from Aston Martin is already expected at the end of 2026.
BILD’s report suggests Red Bull could therefore secure an experienced engineer without having to wait until Lambiase actually leaves the organisation.
The question of gardening leave could nevertheless become important. Formula 1 teams frequently impose periods during which departing senior personnel cannot immediately begin work for a rival. However, McCullough has not been responsible for Aston Martin’s Formula 1 programme since the start of 2025, potentially making his situation different from that of an engineer leaving a directly competing technical role.
That could allow Red Bull to benefit from his experience sooner, although the exact terms of any move have not been publicly confirmed.
Red Bull’s succession planning is already underway
Red Bull has already taken steps to prepare for Lambiase’s eventual departure.
Despite reports initially suggesting that his replacement could come from outside the organisation, Red Bull confirmed that Tom Hart will take over Lambiase’s role as Max Verstappen’s race engineer. Motorsport.com reported that Red Bull convinced Hart to remain with the team after he had appeared set to move to Williams.
That means McCullough’s reported arrival would represent something different: rather than simply replacing Verstappen’s race engineer, he would potentially strengthen Red Bull’s wider trackside engineering structure.
For Aston Martin, meanwhile, losing another experienced figure represents another change during a period of significant internal restructuring. For Red Bull, securing McCullough would add an engineer with extensive knowledge of race-weekend operations at a time when the team is preparing for further changes to its leadership and technical organisation.
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